Spiritual healing and next week’s feature

Like Marvin Gaye said, right:  “When I get that feelin’, I want…spiritual healin’.” Well, something like that.

In all seriousness…’

I really enjoyed doing the story “Slain in the Spirit” this week. It’s a funny thing: Sometimes I’ll have second thoughts about a title in the hours after the final draft goes to print. As I write this I find myself thinking about that title. I think it works. Still, it’s on my mind.

I think the piece is good. I called Rev. Anthony Hatch and Rev. Terry Garrett today and told them I’m enthusiastic about it. They really opened themselves and their convictions to me. I appreciate that.  I think it’s one of the better stories I’ve done. It goes a little deeper. I was able to spend some time with the subject.

I enjoyed the service at New Life Church. Incredible. Great people. So welcoming and sincere. They took time to explain things to me. Rev. Hatch invivted me to the service on Friday, as we were having lunch. I initially told him that I was looking for “local art” to go with the story I was working on. “Can you make it Sunday night?” he asked.

Deste Lee, one of our wonderful photographers, went along. Her photos added a lot to the story. Being at the service made all the difference. I’m so glad I went. Things happended fast. I hope that I did some justice to what I was seeing and hearing. I was very impressed and I have nothing but positive things to say about my new friends at New Life Church.

Rev. Terry Garrett and his wife, Dori, were equally delightful. They have a contagious enthusiasm about Lakeland. I spoke with Terry over the phone late last week, then met with him and Dori Monday morning. They both spoke about the doubt that’s inevitably going to surround such an event. However, they spoke about it in the most benign, non-judgemental way. They weren’t the least bit angry that people have doubts. They understood that this type of thing is pretty far from many people’s experience. I admired how gracious they were about it.

I was able, over the course of several days, to cobble together a number of interviews. It lent a certain depth to the story. I had a similar experience with the Alveda King story I did a few weeks back. I like that kind of reporting. The fast paced, deadline-driven newspaper biz doesn’t often lend itslef to that kind of “living with the story.”

My friend Dr. Ed Holliday has a few quotes in this story. He was at the lunch with me and Rev. Hatch. The two of them alerted me to the Lakeland Outpouring several weeks ago. Ed has a wonderful book titled “The 21st Century Great Awakening.” I used a small quote from the book, along with some things he said over lunch. Very insightful. His input did a lot to help me put the Lakeland event in some historical context. I would say that Ed is hopeful but cooly skeptical about Lakeland. He has the believer’s heart and the doctor’s critical reason.

Thursday I made a new friend – Rev. David Eldrige at Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo. David and I had a great conversation, touching on everything from ministry, to family, to books and racial reconcialiton. I couldn’t have been more impressed with him. Calvary has itself a fine, young minister.  I’ll meet with him again next week for a second conversation. The feature, introducing Rev. Eldridge, will be next week’s main story.

Thanks for reading. Go Big Brown!

Galen